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==Civil War 1135-41== On Henry's death, Stephen, then Count of Mortain and married to the heiress of the County of Boulogne, landed in England to seize the throne. Stephen had been his uncle's favorite nephew, the son of Henry's closest sister Adele. The barons and bishops having sworn to uphold Matilda as heiress now had to confront their own oaths. It is likely that now was when the statement was sworn that Henry had disinherited Matilda on his deathbed and released them from their bond. It seems credible that they might believe such a statement, as Geoffrey was known to have been harassing his father-in-law and Henry and Matilda were then estranged. While Stephen was securing himself in England with gifts of monies and priveledges, Matilda and Geoffrey entered Normandy. At first they were recognized as the rightful heirs, but for some reason Geoffrey allowed his forces to plunder. This, in conjunction with the news that England had gone to Stephen, decided the Norman barons to also accept Stephen as their overlord. Meanwhile, David King of the Scots invaded the north of England, declaring his oath to Matilda, but rapidly came to terms with Stephen and retreated. Matilda now took her case to Pope Innocent II. After hearing arguments from both sides, he declared that he wouldn't decide and wouldn't hear any more. Meanwhile he privately wrote to Stephen recognizing him as King. With this letter, Stephen thought himself firmly on the throne and the remaining primates of England seemed to agree. Meanwhile Geoffrey and Stephen joined battle in Normandy but then in July 1137 agreed-upon a two-year truce. Stephen proved to be a soft, ineffectual ruler. Not punishing harshly enough, and being prone to using gifts to gain adherence. Wales had essentially broken away, and Scotland kept launching border raids. The largest blow however was perhaps when Henry's eldest natural son Robert, Earl of Gloucester broke off his allegiance to Stephen, and backed Matilda and Geoffrey. Robert had great influence with the other barons and from this time we see them declaring against the king and fortifying their own castles. Now Stephen committed one of his two most decisive blunders, he arrested some bishops and seized their castles. This was perhaps part of a campaign to weaken strong leaders, but contemporary writers saw this as a great affront to the church. He needed the support of the church and he had now cut that branch. Matilda seeing her chance, invaded England in 1139, thereby inaugurating a period of inconclusive civil war. Matilda landed at the castle of her stepmother Adelicia, now the wife of William d'Albini. Stephen captured Matilda, but then allowed her to go to Bristol under escort, to join her brother Robert of Gloucester. This was his second decisive blunder. If he had banished her back to Anjou, she wouldn't have been able to form a local center for resistence. Which she now began to do. Working from the power base of her half-brother, Robert of Gloucester, in the West Country, this inaugurated a period of inconclusive civil war. After three years of armed struggle, she at last gained the upper hand at the Battle of Lincoln where an army led by her half-brother Robert of Gloucester, in February 1141, captured King Stephen, and sent him to imprisonment at the castle of Bristol which Matilda controlled.
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